you well. I will walk away. It is too late to call for your coach now,
but my housekeeper will attend to your every need." He stood, bowed, and
walked to the bell. A few moments later, the housekeeper came in.
"Lady Catherine is fatigued, could you escort her to her room, and help her?"
The housekeeper curtsied. "My lady, if you
are ready?"
Catherine was undecided. Why had he let her win?
Yes, she had played her own game, but somehow, she was convinced Brook had lost
rather than she had won. However, she followed the housekeeper out of the room
and up the staircase.
"May I say, my lady, we are all looking
forward to your nuptials. The house needs a kind mistress, and my lord? He
needs a good wife."
Catherine stopped dead on the top stair.
"I beg your pardon. Lord Fredericks has no
interest in me."
The
housekeeper turned, and Catherine saw the twinkle in her eyes. "The room
next to yours is his. I'm sorry but the key has been mislaid, and I cannot lock
it. And my lady, if you think his lordship, whom I
must add I have known since he was a red-faced squalling babe, is not
interested, you must be in your own world, not ours. He has wanted you since
you were a fresh faced young lady, just out of the schoolroom. We have all
waited for the day he claimed you once more."
"Hold on," Catherine all but towed the
older woman into her bedchamber. "Did you know all what has
happened?"
"Not at first, but I knew when your brother
behaved as he did, His lordship knew it was time to act. To
save both of you. So my lady, it is up to you."
She
looked at Catherine expectantly.
"Can you help me into my nightrail please? The thin one?"
The housekeeper beamed. "My
pleasure."
***
Brook finished his port and banked the fire
before dousing the candles and making his way upstairs. Was altruism really
worth it? At the last moment he knew he couldn't force Catherine to be his. He
loved her, had loved her for so long, his body ached to lie beside her, to fill
her, and see her face as she climaxed with him. Then to see
her large with child, his child, and their future. But he knew he had to
woo her and win her that way, not by a wager or a sleight of hand. Morosely he
opened his bedroom door. Someone had lit the candles and they cast long shadows
into the corners. The bed was in semi-darkness, and it seemed, not turned down.
In his present mood, it mattered not a jot. He dared
say he would not sleep. He ached for Catherine, and wanted her in the most
basic way possible. With scant regard to the pristine finish, Brook pulled his
boots off with a jack, and swiftly divested himself of his clothing. He flung
back the covers and climbed in.
" Whfft ."
What? His hand found a soft globe of
flesh, and he squeezed…his staff tightened in appreciation.
"Ouch, I am not prime cattle to be poked and prodded. Where have you been? I
was almost asleep." Catherine sat up, propped on one elbow and smiled at
him. A smile full of such seduction and promise his staff responded. She
groaned, and he realized he was naked.
"Ah, I forgot you had not seen me quite so…before."
"True," she laughed. "It is an
impressive sight, and so what? Naked and pleased to see
me?"
"Both. Why are you here, love ?
Not that I am unhappy, just the opposite, but you won."
His heart
was in his mouth as she leaned forward and traced around his nipple. The touch
was exquisite, his senses shouted to him to take her now.
"By winning, I lost. I have paid the piper
long enough, I demand to choose my winnings, and that prize is you. Even if it
is for this night only, I must have you again, Brook. It will be something to
pull out of my memory bank when I am cold and lonely. Will you grant me
that?"
He shook his head and saw hers droop. She began
to move toward the edge of the bed. He stopped her with a hand over her
stomach, and pressed her flat onto the mattress.
"You stay forever, one night is not enough.
You stay, you become my wife, the mother of our children,
but my housekeeper will attend to your every need." He stood, bowed, and
walked to the bell. A few moments later, the housekeeper came in.
"Lady Catherine is fatigued, could you escort her to her room, and help her?"
The housekeeper curtsied. "My lady, if you
are ready?"
Catherine was undecided. Why had he let her win?
Yes, she had played her own game, but somehow, she was convinced Brook had lost
rather than she had won. However, she followed the housekeeper out of the room
and up the staircase.
"May I say, my lady, we are all looking
forward to your nuptials. The house needs a kind mistress, and my lord? He
needs a good wife."
Catherine stopped dead on the top stair.
"I beg your pardon. Lord Fredericks has no
interest in me."
The
housekeeper turned, and Catherine saw the twinkle in her eyes. "The room
next to yours is his. I'm sorry but the key has been mislaid, and I cannot lock
it. And my lady, if you think his lordship, whom I
must add I have known since he was a red-faced squalling babe, is not
interested, you must be in your own world, not ours. He has wanted you since
you were a fresh faced young lady, just out of the schoolroom. We have all
waited for the day he claimed you once more."
"Hold on," Catherine all but towed the
older woman into her bedchamber. "Did you know all what has
happened?"
"Not at first, but I knew when your brother
behaved as he did, His lordship knew it was time to act. To
save both of you. So my lady, it is up to you."
She
looked at Catherine expectantly.
"Can you help me into my nightrail please? The thin one?"
The housekeeper beamed. "My
pleasure."
***
Brook finished his port and banked the fire
before dousing the candles and making his way upstairs. Was altruism really
worth it? At the last moment he knew he couldn't force Catherine to be his. He
loved her, had loved her for so long, his body ached to lie beside her, to fill
her, and see her face as she climaxed with him. Then to see
her large with child, his child, and their future. But he knew he had to
woo her and win her that way, not by a wager or a sleight of hand. Morosely he
opened his bedroom door. Someone had lit the candles and they cast long shadows
into the corners. The bed was in semi-darkness, and it seemed, not turned down.
In his present mood, it mattered not a jot. He dared
say he would not sleep. He ached for Catherine, and wanted her in the most
basic way possible. With scant regard to the pristine finish, Brook pulled his
boots off with a jack, and swiftly divested himself of his clothing. He flung
back the covers and climbed in.
" Whfft ."
What? His hand found a soft globe of
flesh, and he squeezed…his staff tightened in appreciation.
"Ouch, I am not prime cattle to be poked and prodded. Where have you been? I
was almost asleep." Catherine sat up, propped on one elbow and smiled at
him. A smile full of such seduction and promise his staff responded. She
groaned, and he realized he was naked.
"Ah, I forgot you had not seen me quite so…before."
"True," she laughed. "It is an
impressive sight, and so what? Naked and pleased to see
me?"
"Both. Why are you here, love ?
Not that I am unhappy, just the opposite, but you won."
His heart
was in his mouth as she leaned forward and traced around his nipple. The touch
was exquisite, his senses shouted to him to take her now.
"By winning, I lost. I have paid the piper
long enough, I demand to choose my winnings, and that prize is you. Even if it
is for this night only, I must have you again, Brook. It will be something to
pull out of my memory bank when I am cold and lonely. Will you grant me
that?"
He shook his head and saw hers droop. She began
to move toward the edge of the bed. He stopped her with a hand over her
stomach, and pressed her flat onto the mattress.
"You stay forever, one night is not enough.
You stay, you become my wife, the mother of our children,
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